Cairngorms gets prepared to welcome back visitors
£1m in staffing and infrastructure with more rangers at the national park
There's a record spend of one million pounds in both staffing and infrastructure as the Cairngorms National Park prepares to welcome back visitors back this Summer.
April 2nd marks the first official day of duties for the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s (CNPA) Seasonal Rangers for 2021's season – and more are joining them with four new full-time permanent ranger posts. In total, there will be over 35 rangers on the ground providing useful advice and guidance to visitors.
The timing of the rangers in getting to work coincides with the lifting of the Scottish Government’s Stay at Home order. People are still encouraged to Stay Local – which means no overnight stays – until at least April 26th.
The CNPA has committed £572,000 for the delivery of a CNPA Ranger Service and has also increased funding to £190,000 for six partner ranger services in the National Park – Glen Tanar, Balmoral, Rothiemurchus, Atholl, Angus and Abernethy.
Infrastructure improvements are also underway, particularly at hotspot areas such as Glenmore and Loch an Eilein in Strathspey, and Mar Lodge in Deeside. Car parks are being extended, paths improved and, in some places, traffic calming measures and other activities are underway as part of multi-partner preparations to accommodate large numbers of visitors over the coming months.
Grant Moir, Chief Executive of the CNPA, said: “Given that our visitor numbers continue to rise, the Park Authority is providing increased support in terms of investment in both visitor facilities and people on the ground.
"We will provide considerable help to existing ranger services where required, while providing a service across the whole of the National Park to help ensure that everyone has a great time and behaves responsibly.
Xander McDade, the CNPA Board Convener, commented: “Early in the pandemic the CNPA Board took the decision to invest in Seasonal Rangers to assist with a predicted post-lockdown rise in visitors.
“I’m also very pleased with the partnership work that has been done over the Winter in preparing for the end of lockdown and we’re all looking forward to welcoming visitors back to the Cairngorms National Park. Tourism is a critical part of our economy and the Park Authority is committed to supporting this and other sectors as part of our Green Recovery Plan.”
More information is available on the CNPA website.